Sydney is exactly the sort of place where hundreds of cocktail bars would naturally spring up. And what do you know, hundreds absolutely have. Only a few have really captured the puntersâ€™ imagination though, shining through with a genuine devotion to good booze, proper mixology, and creativity above all else. Here are but a few for your next up-market boozing session.

Eau De Vie

Eau De Vie is about as classy and tasteful as Sydney cocktail bars come, a true Mecca for any real spirit enth…

Fight for your right to party no more
It’s no secret that Sydney has become a ghost town inÂ recent years since the introduction of controversial lockout laws designed to curb alcohol-fuelled violence on the streets.
Today those laws which have drastically altered Sydney’s once-burgeoning nightlife scene have been relaxed by NSW Premiere Mike Baird – the very man who put them in motionÂ back in 2014.
The surprise move co…

I have been living in Sydney for a year now and it doesn’t surprise me that this beautiful city consistently ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world to visit or live. Even still, I love living here and I love finding things to do and see. There is always a new cafe to discover or something exciting happening.

The good news is that it’s not impossible to visit Sydney on a budget, and if you live here then you’ll know that there are many free or inexpensive things to do in Sydney that allow you to experience the best the city has to offer.

I shared my three favourite things to do in Bondi with my friend Harri in January. If you missed blog post and the video be sure to check it out here.

We drove around in the new Mazda2, visiting all our favourite places: About Life, Henley’s Wholefoods and we finally completed the Bondi To Bronte Walk despite the weather trying its level best to thwart the attempt (see the video!). We managed to explore plenty of Sydney and with the fuel economy on the cute Mazda2, our budget remained intact!

The Mazda2 really encouraged us to have a little micro-adventure. With Harri and I both being fairly new to Sydney, we found the MZD Connect (Mazda’s innovative infotainment system) intuitive to use and it made navigation a stress-free and time-saving proposition (I am not the greatest navigator, to say the least!). Similarly, driving a compact car like the Mazda2 makes tight, tricky parking spots accessible and the reverse parking camera and rear parking sensors made the procedure easy. For city living, a compact car is nearly a must.

Today I thought I would share some fun free / cheap things you can do in Sydney as well as my other favourite cafes that you may or may not have heard about!

All the below suggestions are easy to drive to and parking is really easy too.

MUST TRY CAFES IN SYDNEY

These are a mixture between health food, organic and just damn delicious. They all happen to do great coffee too.

The Hunter Works: I found this place hidden in Balmain and I am so glad I did. Their coffee is so yummy and I love their outdoor area. 7/332 Darling Street Balmain 2041

FUN CHEAP / FREE THINGS

Bondi To Coogee walk – similar to the walk we did in our video, but it is longer and you finish up in Coogee. It’s about 4.8 km’s so give yourself around 1 and a half hrs to complete one way. It’s an amazing way to see Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly and Coogee.

Art Gallery NSW or Museum Of Contemporary Art. Be sure to check out the free exhibitions, there’s always great things on at both galleries.

Royal National Park’s Garie Beach for its isolation and swells, while the views and high cliffs draw picnickers. Vehicle entry to the park is $11

Barefoot bowls, offered at clubs including Cremorne, Mosman and Bradleys Head. Grab a group of friends on a Sat afternoon!

Kayak around Point Piper and peer into the backyards of the area’s mansions. Kayak hire $20 an hour from Ozpaddle!

Head to Watson’s Bay – this is one of my favourite spots in Sydney. The Watson’s Bay Boutique Hotel food is delicious and the view is incredible!

Head to Manly and spend a relaxing day at Shelley Beach.

Walk up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Palm Beach – we did this the other weekend and it was amazing!

Another great walk that you can enjoy for free in Sydney is the walk from Manly to Spit walk which will start right behind the Manly Aquarium and finishes at the Spit Bridge in Mosman. It’s a great way to see the harbour and a relaxing walk!

I hope this has helped with finding some awesome new places for you to try whether you’re about to visit or you’re a Sydney local!

Happy Friday! I thought I would share a little “what I wore post today” as I try and stay warm and build up the courage to head out to meetings in the next hour!

I was thinking of incorporating more “every day posts” into my blog – what I get up to and what I tend to wear to events etc. I never thought to really post on that type of thing until my friend Harri (Hey girl), suggested it the other day. If you don’t want to see this, you can blame her…

Also worth noting is that Harri is going to feature in a YouTube video soon – not at her own free will either. I had to bribe her (here’s some wine). The poor girl.

I am such a good friend to her. Ha.

On Tuesday (pre new hair colour), so we’re going a little backwards to go forward, I attended the Australian Thomas Sabo Launch. It was a great morning catching up with old friends and meeting new people! I had never been to The Butler before and as it turns out I’ll be going there again this Monday! I am loving finding new digs in Sydney, there is just SO much to do and see.

I am going to explore some more this weekend too!

The weather has been so cold lately (It’s been snowing everywhere here in Aust!!), it’s obviously nothing like Winter is for my European or American readers, but damn it’s been hard to dress! I opted for a fresh white dress from Australian label, Bec & Bridge – the long sleeves were a must! Berry lips and fresh dewy makeup (thank you 1 million hrs of makeup tutorial watching) and some statement rings / bracelets was all I needed to finish my look off!

WEARING: Thomas Sabo Jewellery

It’s such an amazing collection – I found myself wanting to shop the men’s collection too. Love a good skull motif as you know! SHOP THE NEW COLLECTION HERE.

If there is one thing which pops up on my instagram regularly it’s juice, cold pressed juice or someone partaking on a juice cleanse journey. I have been so curious about juice cleanses, as I had never done one before, so last week I did one to see what all the fuss was about.

I don’t have the best track record when it comes to moods when I am hungry. I generally get angry and start Hangry Ally surfaces. Despite all this I really wanted to do a cleanse – I figured it was the right time to do one as we’d only just moved into our new house so I hadn’t done any groceries – therefore I wouldn’t be tempted by any food in our house.

Before I begin, I just want to note that I do not condone cleanses or any other fad diets to my readers or online family. If you’re looking at reading this to gain insight into weight loss then I am sorry, this is not what this article is about. Long-term weight loss and maintenance can only be achieved through intentional lifestyle and behavioral changes, i.e, healthier (long term choices) and exercise. Unless you are going into a cleanse with with a clear long-term plan for your life afterwards; such as cutting out processed foods, reducing sugar and salt intake, a new fitness regime, a juice cleanse will serve no other purpose than temporary weight loss solution. No healthy benefits will be maintained unless you have a plan put in place for after your cleanse. Remember to make smart daily choices for better health, not just partake in “quick fixes”

DAY BEFORE

I am so excited my juices have arrived – I went with a local Sydney brand called Lucky You Cleanse. They came in a cold bag and were left by my front door. There is 6 juices per day and I am going to be doing this for 3 days.I am hanging out for tomorrow to try all the flavours!

I took a quick read through the booklet with the juices to see the structure of the cleanse.

Aloe Vera

Smoothie

Green Juice B

Spicy Lemonade

Red Juice

Green Juice A

Cashew Mylk

There are loads of different versions out there, but this is the one I went with! Their Instagram is lovely and they seem really personable!

DAY 1 – TUESDAY

8:00am: JD goes down stairs to make coffee and brings up an aloe vera elixir for me to consume for the day. It’s got quite a zing to it – almost vinegar like, so I drink it as fast as I can. I’m still in bed and it’s realllllly cold so it has me thinking about HOT breakfast foods, like porridge or bacon.

9:00am: It’s time for my first juice! I’m half way through and I realise I am drinking the wrong one…I am off to a great start. I was meant to have the Green smoothie, but I was tucked into the juice I was supposed to consume two hrs later. Sorry juice gods, I have already failed you.

Now, do I stop and change, or do I keep going?

10:15: I am pretty hungry now. I am on a bus atm on my way to a meeting and all I can think about it food and I was wishing I hadn’t stuffed up the whole smoothie / juice thing. Maybe I should’ve just swapped them out. Do you know what’s tasty? Food.

11:00am: Home just in time for my next juice, but, hooray I finally get to try the smoothie. Man, this is delicious. This is a lot thicker than the juice so it should keep my tied over to 1am.

I just realised how often I think about food throughout the day. I don’t know if that’s because a) I don’t have internet connected b) it’s like, minus 1 million degrees so food would be a great comfort right now or c) I just really like food.

1:00pm: Oh my god, Spicy Lemonade, where have you been all my life? You are so yummy. Oh, by the way this is drink three. I’m full of liquid and if you must know my toilet activities for today, they have been frequent. And by frequent I mean incredibly frequent – also, we’re talking strictly number ones here.

2:00pm: There is a lady on the train eating sushi. Go away lady with sushi you are not welcome here.

3:00pm: I am nervous about drinking this one right now – I am wearing all white and this juice is very, very red. And because I am quite hungry right now, I can not afford any spillage.

3:10pm: I just finished the juice – no spillage, no dry cleaner visit necessary. Also: In the cleanse guide from Lucky You Cleanse they mention that you need to chew all juices / smoothies to aid your digestion. Have you ever chewed liquid? It is quite a bizarre feeling!

4:00pm: All I can think about is the Cashew Mylk I get to have for dinner. I think that it’s instinct for me to be thinking about what I would be cooking for dinner at around this time so I can get to the shops before peak hour.

5:00pm: End of the day and I am quite tired. I looked at the back of each jar I had consumed today and I am well below the normal amount of calories I would generally have at this time of day, so I don’t know if I am tired because it’s been a stressful few days of moving, or if I haven’t consumed enough VS the activities I have been doing. I have a really fast metabolism. My juice right now is another green juice and it’s refreshing!

6:00pm: We walk up to Woollies to grab JD some dinner ingredients. I have a heightened sense of smell. Everything smells so yummy. I figure it’s an evolutionary trait from when we were hunters and gatherers. Damn, I could so go a freshly baked muffin. Woolies what are you doing to me? I really should’ve just stayed home.

7:00pm: JD is making himself dinner and it’s smelling so yummy. It’s really cold tonight and we haven’t bought a heater for our new place so all I want to do is eat something warm. Pumpkin soup would go down a treat…but instead I am going to tuck into some Cashew Mylk – I have been hanging out for this ALL DAY.

7:30pm: JD and I have “dinner” together. The Cashew Milk is so yummy – I wasn’t expecting it to be so sweet – but it does have dates in it, so that’s where the sweetness is coming from.

8:00pm: Enough time has passed to see how full I am feeling. I feel a different type of full – it’s filling, but I don’t feel heavy full, so I guess that is a good thing. I figured by this time I would be on the brink of starvation by bedtime.

CONCLUSION DAY 1

I went into this with little expectations. I have had friends do juice cleanses but I think everyone has different coping mechanisms and metabolisms so results are all different. Day 1 has been tough for me, I have found myself thinking about food a lot and I have been hungry in between juices. I haven’t felt in control – I need to embrace this a lot more and focus.

DAY 2 – WEDNESDAY

8:00am: Someone feed me. I had night sweats last night and trust me it’s been freezing so there’s no reason for me to have had them other than a side effect. I did read about that in the guidebook, so I was expecting something. Other than a little headache this morning, my body it handling this whole juice thing okay (except the hunger). I miss chewing.

8:05am: Downing this elixir like I haven’t eaten in 5 days. I knew what to expect today, so the taste was actually nice.

9:00am: Okay, so I totally got this right today – 50 points to gryffindor. So much better starting the day with a smoothie – I actually feel satisfied.

10:00am: Today feels like it’s going to be the hardest day. I know I just need to push through and get to the end..It’s so very hard though.

10:30am: Leaving the house to head out to meetings. I grabbed my 11:00 juice to have on the go. I decided to walk the last 15 mins of the trip so it took my mind off the food and help the headache i’ve had since this morning.

11:00am: Green juice on the go. SnapChat upload. Facebook upload. My phone bill is gon’ be high this month.

1:00pm: Spicy Lemonade time… Caught in a conversation about Beyonce and her diet for that movie I have forgotten the name of. If I had internet I would Google it.

1:30pm: Caught up with a friend for coffee..Oh wait I can’t drink that!! She said I was allowed herbal teas, so she went bang up to my number one friend right here and now. Anyone who tells me I can have something HOT after 1 and a half days of cold juice is a friend of mine.

3:00pm: Home – now red juice time.

4:00pm: Caught myself staring into space. NOTE: We still have no internet until next Thursday, so it’s been tough to get work done and to stay focused.

5:00pm: Started reading Steve Jobs biography.

7:00pm: I just woke up from a two hour sleep – I have missed out on some Green Juice and now it’s time for my Cashew Mylk so I am going to have to add an extra hour on to today. I am STARVING because of this.

I want to emphasise the importance of listening to your body. I slept because I needed to, so make sure you listen to yours.

8:00pm: Cashew Mylk and I am struggling to get through it tonight. Probably because my stomach is already full from an hour ago.

CONCLUSION DAY 2

I definitely found today hard too. I am normally a mind over matter girl, but this has been exceptionally hard. I am feeling flat in the stomach, it’s helped out on the bloating front. I was less hungry today than yesterday, so I think I made it over the imaginary hump.

I really enjoyed the juices today – I knew what to expect so I think my taste buds were more in-tune to the flavours.

DAY 3 – THURSDAY

7:30am: This morning was the first morning I didn’t wake up hungry.

8:00am: Elixir and herbal tea time. IT’S NOT CHEATING WE’VE JUST BEEN THROUGH THIS. Don’t argue with me, I haven’t eaten in three days. I’m not too sure who I am talking to right now.

9:00am: Last day of a smoothie. I basically inhaled it. If the glass was edible I would have eaten that too.

10:00am: I’m tired and already thinking of the next juice I can drink. I’ve complained today to JD about wanting to be finished… In my mind though I know I am SO close to completing this cleanse and it’ll be such a great feeling of accomplishment once I’m done. I am complaining, but it’s my way of coping and I want some encouragement.

11:00am: I really would like something salty right now. Or savory – just something that has a crunch to it.

11:15am: There’s a lady on the seat next to me (on the train) and she’s eating a bag of snakes at 11:00 in the morning. Who are you lady. Please move the another carriage before I launch myself at you.

11:45am: Home from early meetings – I have a surprisingly large amount of energy, but I know I will crash soon. I quickly drink / chew my way through my 5th last juice of the cleanse.

1:00pm: I made JD try the spicy lemonade just now. He liked it too. I reallly like this one and would make it or buy it on it’s own.

3pm: I just want it to be done…The good news is I will be done in 4 hrs. What should my first meal be?

4pm: On the phone to mum talking about food. STOP MUM.

5pm: Rugged up under a blanket on the couch debating whether or not to walk down stair for my second last juice….I have come this far, I have to.

7pm: I have made it to my last dinner of juice… My gosh! Who would have thought I would make it to the end.

8pm: “JD can I have some toast?”

JUICE CLEANSE CONCLUSION

I am definitely lighter. I didn’t weigh myself as I don’t own scales or believe in weighing yourself daily, but I can tell by the way my body feels that I have lost weight. My stomach feels empty even though it’s not – and it’s a nice feeling. From here I know that I have reset my eating habits and amount of food I would consume at one time. It was a tough three days that’s for sure, but I have come out the other end with a clear goal of maintaining my healthy way of eating. I never went into this wanting to lose weight as I didn’t need to, I wanted it to be a way to reset my eating habits and a little experiment for you guys too!

WHAT I LEARNED

I wish I had have done more research prior to the cleanse and it was a little naive of me not to. It was a little bit of a shock to my system – I would ease into one in the days before the cleanse instead of going cold turkey on something.

I would only do these in Summer or weather I could warm myself up in. My body temperature was very low throughout this cleanse. I wasn’t burning enough energy through digestion or consuming hot foods to warm me up.

My energy levels weren’t high. I read prior to the cleanse that your energy levels will be higher, but I didn’t find that at all. I was very lethargic and I fell asleep one afternoon at 5pm, which I would never normally do.

I think about food a lot!! I like to plan food / meals ahead of time and I found that I was still doing that when I was cleansing. That was a hard adjustment.

Attitude is everything. One day one I found it such a shock and I wasn’t expecting it to be. I should have changed my attitude and embraced it more, but I found that really hard to do when I was hungry.

Cleansing is not the solution to long term weight loss or long term fitness goals. Yes I lost weight in the three days, but you shouldn’t rely on this. You’re losing water weight and as soon as you start eating again you may put this back on. Instead, you should be eating a balanced diet and implement a good workout plan.

Juice cleanses are a good way to reset your eating habits. I found that the weeks leading up to the cleanse my eating had been average because of the move. The cleanse helped me reset my eating habits. I felt that because I had eaten (whoops I mean drank) so many healthy juices I needed to maintain that level of health.

Drinking juices helps you realise you should be drinking more throughout the day!

I don’t think there are long term benefits from a cleanse. There are definitely short term results like: Less bloating, re-hydration, clear skin… But this all goes away.

I wish there was a juice cleanse that incorporated broth like soups for Winter – it would definitely make it more bearable in colder weather.

You have to listen to your body – if it wants you to rest then rest.

Juice cleanses are hard. There are so many things online, but I didn’t come across one person saying they were tough, really. I can’t imagine I was the first person to feel this way, so, if you are looking at doing one, know that you could find it tough.

I really liked that everything was done for me… I think if it was left up to me to juice each juice I wouldn’t have made it past day 1.

I’d love to hear your experiences with juicing! Have you ever done a juice cleanse? Or do you juice regularly?

Following on from this post, where I mentioned I was going to ensure I was going to mix up the script, Jonathan and I jumped in our new car and embarked on a fun road trip up North recently to shoot this incredible set of images for our JETS SWIMWEAR collaboration. We haven’t explored the north as much as the south since living in this area, so we figured there was no better time to start than that moment.

I would love to hear your thoughts – be sure to comment in the comment section at the end of this post, if you loved it!

I loved sitting in the passenger seat as Jonathan drove. We were listening to our favourite artists on shuffle and engaged in deep conversation. In that moment, we’d left work behind briefly and it was all about us. Road trips are one of my favourite things to do because for the time you’re driving, you’re seated next to one another and you can chat about everything and anything. For us, it’s when our creative minds thrive.

How often do you get to just be? How often do you have no agenda, or no place to be. How often can you honestly say, your mind is resting and you are just enjoying the moment?

How often can you say your soul has been soothed by letting go, driving to an unknown destination and just have fun in that moment?

If your answer is “not often enough”, it’s time to put yourself first and start living for this minute. Give back to yourself, you deserve it, girl.

I’m not one for nightclubs or arriving home at 3am from a night out. But I love experiences and travel. I love going to new places, meeting new people and coming out of things with a different perspective. I love long drives, great company and I love having no expectations when it comes to how I am going to spend my time.

It’s exhilarating. I crave more of it.

On this current day, weather was not on our side. We hurried down to a the beach, despite the ominous, grey clouds looming overhead. I was beginning to think the rain would ruin all our plans, but luckily, mother nature was on our side and we got to complete our collaboration, without the onset of raindrops.

We had a few onlookers when photographing these three looks. We’re well trained to block them out now. I used to get nervous as I changed poses, but now I figure, they’re just wondering what we’re doing. If roles were reversed, I’d probably be wondering the same thing.

On our way back to our hometown, I was thinking about all the places within Australia I want to visit this year. I have some overseas trips planned (in my mind) for mid year, our honeymoon being one of them, but some domestic travel is definitely on the cards prior to that. Coincidently, all the places I want to go, involve a bikini and sometime by the ocean. If you don’t already no, I am a coastal girl – I’m about 96% sure saltwater runs through my veins. I need the water, I need to wear bikinis most days – it’s just in my DNA.

Today I am bringing you a picturesque location, alongside equally stunning bikini. What better place to wear an Australian swimwear label, than the iconic Bar Beach in Newcastle.

I had never been to Newcastle until this trip – the architecture is incredible. Everywhere I looked, I fell in love with the buildings.

HERE ARE MY TOP 3 AUSTRALIAN LOCATIONS I WANT TO VISIT THIS YEAR

Great Ocean Road

I want to drive along the coast and visit the Shipwreck Coast, see the Twelve Apostles (I think there’s 8 left?!). Ah, so beautiful!

Tasmania

I want to visit my pal, Kelly and drink wine with her. I want to see Cradle Mountain, eat the incredible Tasmania produce I have heard so much about and like, way more things too. But food and wine is a good starting point.

Sydney to Melbourne

I haven’t done this drive since I was tiny, but I’d love to do it as an adult!

I hope you enjoyed my collaboration with JETS – The fit, material and cuts of all these pieces are fantastic, and I say that because I am a fussy bikini owner with differing proportions who finds it a tedious job to find bikinis which suit my body type.

I was going to do a “look back at 2014″ style post but have decided against it – instead I am looking ahead to what this gorgeous, shiny new year has to offer me. I don’t need to spend time looking at 2014 achievements or “best outfits” et al, I need to spend that time working towards my 2015 goals and kick ‘em.

It’s been 15 days since I last posted – in that time we’ve all celebrated Christmas and we have welcomed a brand new year. I have been away on a holiday and basically spent the last 15 days taking one-hour naps so I would have enough energy to take a twelve-hour nap closely after. Holidays are the best and sleep in my best friend over Christmas – BED FOREVER / TIL THE END OF TIME. Now that I am at home with my pants off while writing this posts, I want to un-eat all the things I ate over Christmas. In fact I’m not entirely sure I will be able to bring you an outfit post due to the fact none of my clothes fit.

I ate all the sugar. I ate all the cake. I am a ball of Christmas pudding.

Dear Vogue, please make muu muu’s fashionable.

Things that happened over my Christmas break

I read Amy Poehler’s new book

Amy and I became best friends and she laughed profusely at ALL my jokes

I woke up from a 12 hour sleep and cried

What did you get up to on your Christmas break? I hope you all have an amazing year this year filled with amazing opportunities, good health and bundles of happiness. Thanks for all of your support! I love my online family so, so much!

I can’t wait to share all my health, fitness and sartorial choices with you this year!! Bring it on.

I love coming home from months of overseas travel for so many reasons. Apart from the obvious ones like seeing family and friends, there is nothing like access to a fridge and kitchen, your own bed and a wardrobe. I prefer travelling with one suitcase and one carry on, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit it gets old quickly. Whenever I stop in to London or NYC I would love to update its contents on the high street; but when I have the same pieces waiting at home it is just a waste of money and non existent luggage space.

I have been a devoted ASOS girl for years now, with roughly 7 postal addresses from around the world still stored in my check out options. I bought this patchwork print shift dress while travelling but only got a chance to wear it upon returning home, thankfully to a refreshing pair of flats that feel new after so many months away.

I am so happy that I was able to take a brief break from overseas (now on location in Morocco!) to come home and appreciate Sydney’s gorgeous beaches while working together once more for their Sportscraft Summer campaign. While shooting with my feet in the ocean I realised that nowhere in the world does summer quite like Australia.

The Sportcraft Summer collection has endless pieces perfect for hot summer days with my favourite being this Immy Anglaise Kaftan to throw on for a day in the sun. I believe that pieces like this are timeless, and suitable for summer at any age. Teamed with the Sierra clutch for a punch of exotic colours and embroidery.

I’m so excited to get back home for more days of summer sunshine bliss… mangoes, Golden Gaytimes, sandy bed sheets and thunderstorms all included.

Everyone has their favourite month of the year. Go on; think about it for a moment… you’ll realise you have one too. Is it the festivities of Christmas that makes December your cherished month, or perhaps the falling leaves of an autumnal May that you enjoy most, or maybe it’s the excitement of a birthday ;… Continue reading →
SOURCE: Style Creeper – Read entire story here.

BEAMS is a flash in the night of colour, form, movement and sound, descending upon the urban backstreets of Chippendale to illuminate the creative talent of Sydney. This multi-disciplinary arts festival showcases work from the whole spectrum of the arts, with creatives coming together in the hundreds to surge the voltage of ideas and inspiration. For ;… Continue reading →
SOURCE: Style Creeper – Read entire story here.

This month’s Man About Town, Anthony Nader, is a highly respected hairdresser, writer, publisher and entrepreneur who we’ve had the privilege of working with here at D’Marge. Interesting and successful, we decided to get his take on life, business, magazines and travel.

Where do you base yourself these days?
Right now I’m floating between my current Darlinghurst salon and my new Surry Hills salon location, designed by Joe Snell which opens up in August. It can’t come soon enough, I’…